We sat down with the multi-talented, ever-astounding, artist Olivié Keck to chat about her practice, recent movements, animated movements and of course, some of her favourite records. Catch a mini-exhibition of Olivié’s works along with a DJ set by Olivié at the May 2019 edition of the First Thursdays Cape Town Official Warm-Up at the Gin Bar, 64a Wale Street.

Let’s begin at the beginning. How did you get to where you are today?
I did a BFA at Michaelis. From there on out, I basically took it as it came. Most of what I’ve cultivated in my career has been quite organic and I’ve generally just pursued gut feelings about directions in my practise. I guess my recipe is part hard work, part experimentation.

You have an exhibition showing at CIRCA in Johannesburg at the moment. What has it been like putting a show together in the City of Gold? And what’s your general experience of the place in comparison to Cape Town?
Jozi is a pulsing city. My most recent exhibition Drop Dead Gorgeous was perfect for the deluxe energy of The City of Gold. Cape Town is slow and sleepy in comparison and Joburg audiences really know how to come to the party in a big way. I was so grateful for the positive response.

You’ve done some work with VR before. How did that come about? And do you see yourself experimenting with more alternative media in the future, or was it more of a one time thing? Working in VR just kind of happened organically. I loved the medium and wanted to translate my drawing style into an immersive 3D environment. I was fortunate to know the right tech-savy people that could help me bring my aesthetic vision to life. These projects are very much collaborations between myself, Evan Greenwood (programmer) and Jason Sutherland (Sound Artist). I hope to work more in the medium of VR in future. It’s such a unique space for visual exploration to conjure new worlds.

Long Distance Caller Preview from Olivié Keck on Vimeo.

You’ve shown work in the Gin Bar space before, back when it was still Commune.1. What was the last work that you showed there, and what will you be showing on 2 May? Yeah it’s a weird one because this was the first space I had ever had a major solo exhibition (‘False Priest’,2014). At this event I’ll be showing a reminiscent with a mixed bag of O.K. drawings & prints.

What advice would you give to a young artist that you wish someone had given you when you were starting out?
I think sharing ideas and generating discussion is very important for artists. Being an artist is not about being an island. Be generous with your ideas. This will only make your practice more enriched.

Top 5 ‘desert island’ albums?
Beach House Devotion
Youth Lagoon The Year Of Hibernation
The New Pornographers Mass Romantic
Frank Ocean Blonde
Mica Levi Under Her Skin Soundtrack

Where can people find your work and follow you?
Instagram: @oliviekeck
Website: www.oliviekeck.com

Catch a mini-show of Olivié’s work, as well as a DJ set by the artist at The First Thursdays Official Warm Up between 6 – 9 PM, upstairs at the Gin Bar, 64a Wale Street. The party goes on until late. The First Thursdays Official Warm Up is produced by Thursdays Projects in partnership with Roku Gin.

RSVP HERE

You’ll find the considered, seemingly simple forms that define Ben Eagle’s work span prints, ceramics and collaborations with some of South Africa’s top names and brands. We sat down with Ben to chat about his journey, his practice and of course, some of his favourite records. Catch a mini-exhibition of Ben’s works along with a DJ set by the multi-talented one himself at the April 2019 edition of the First Thursdays Cape Town Official Warm-Up at the Gin Bar (64a Wale Street).

Hi Ben! Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. Let’s start at the beginning. How did you find your way as an artist and a designer?

I guess it all started with Graffiti, as a teenager I used to sneak out the house in the middle of the night to go paint walls. As I got older I found myself interested in creating more than just letters, I wanted to create art that would be easily relatable for everyone even if art isn’t something you’re into.

Balance is never easy. How do you manage the thresholds between professional, personal and the private in your work and in your life?

I’ve always kept my career as a designer quite separate from my art career, I find it helps not to mix the two because that way they balance each other out and I don’t just rely on one as my creative outlet.

You were born in Johannesburg and you started your career up there, before relocating to Cape Town. How do you find the space between the two cities, specifically with regards to your work as an artist and a designer?

Both cities are amazing because they’re literally complete opposites, I will always have a special appreciation for Johannesburg, particularly the inner city because it’s so raw and unforgiving. Cape Town, on the other hand, has shown me a completely different way of living which has been inspiring in new ways. It helps to have such a strong creative industry with so many different platforms for artists and designers.

Ceramics, prints, fashion-collaborations – your work really gets around! Can you tell us about your approach to working across so many different media?

I don’t necessarily have different approaches when working on different projects. I try make stuff that I would want to own or have in my wardrobe.

What advice would you give to a young artist that you wish someone had given you when you were starting out?

Make whatever makes you happy and don’t be afraid to put it out there.

Top 5 ‘desert island’ albums?

This is a tough one!

1: Toro Y Moi – Anything in Return
2: Archy Marshall – A New Place 2 Drown
3: Erykah Badu – Baduizm
4: Action Bronson – DR Lecter
5: Gucci Mane – Droptopwop

Where can people find your work and follow you?

They can check out beneaglestudio.com or my Instagram @Ben_Eagle_Studio

Catch a mini-show of Ben’s work, as well as a DJ set by the artist at The First Thursdays Official Warm Up between 6 – 9 PM, upstairs at the Gin Bar, 64a Wale Street. The party goes on until late. The First Thursdays Official Warm Up is produced by Thursdays Projects in partnership with Roku Gin.

RSVP HERE

Jean De Wet is one of our all-time-top-5-desert island favourite Cape Town-based artists. With a wide-ranging practice and an even wider-ranging set of projects, side-projects and project-projects, we were lucky enough to sit down with the restless traveller to find out a little more about his journey, the relationship between his seemingly divergent practices and his favourite records. Remember, Jean will be playing a set at the March 2019 edition of the First Thursdays Official Warm-Up at the Gin Bar on Wale Street.

Can you tell us a little more about your path as an artist. Where did you grow up? What did you study? What types of jobs have you had and where do you find yourself at the moment?

I moved around quite a bit as a child. I lived in both Queenstown and Durban before moving to Pretoria at the age of 13. I then studied Information design at the University of Pretoria, until I finally moved to Cape Town after getting a job at Illustration studio Am I Collective. After four years of fast-paced working in the advertising and design world, I decided to go freelance in order to focus on more personal projects and develop skills I would otherwise not have any time for. I’ve been doing that now since 2012… and haven’t really looked back.

Your work spans a number of disciplines and media – from zine-making to painting to print-based-media to animation and music-making. How do you make sense of your practice(s)? Do you find that different parts of personality or psyche, play out in different media or projects?

I think that obsession has a large part to play. I find myself going deep into different disciplines because of how addictive the excitement of discovery and experimentation is. I find that the more I juggle disparate thought processes, the more ideas cross-pollinate and become their own unique things. I tend to meander through interests as they emerge and dissipate, which is also a way for me to keep excited about making things.

Music plays an integral role in your work. Can you please tell us about the relationship(s) between the visual and the aural in your practice. How do the landscapes and the worlds that you create relate to the music and soundscapes that you produce?

I think they both share qualities in the meditative part of the process. With both music and visual art, there is a phase where technical and creative limitations are established, which then becomes a ‘space’ where I can just channel thoughts and experiences, unfettered by whether it will ‘work’ or not. As long as I’m having fun during this phase, I can expect to create something that I’m pleased with. In that way soundscapes and landscapes become ‘emotional maps’, etched over time.

Your advice for people trying to start out in the world of art-or-stuff-making?

I’d say that it’s important to know that it takes lots of time and effort… Probably more than you imagined at first. There are times in your career where you think you can’t push or give any more… but I’ve found that it is those extreme times that you learn the most. Be kind to yourself and remember that life exists outside your projects, but don’t expect to get anywhere without working twice as hard as anyone else. You really need to live and breathe your art.

What are your all-time-top 5 ‘desert island’ albums?

This is obviously a super difficult question… but if I was forced to make a decision right now, I’d say…

Arthur Russell – Love is Overtaking Me
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Worn Copy
Animal Collective – Sung tongs
Boards of Canada – Music has the right to children
Cocteau Twins – Heaven or Las Vegas

Catch what will be an extra special set from Jean, alongside a mini-exhibition of his work at The First Thursdays Official Warm Up between 6 – 9 PM, upstairs at the Gin Bar, 64a Wale Street. The party goes on until late. The First Thursdays Official Warm Up is produced by Thursdays Projects in partnership with Roku Gin.